Writers Guild Noms Bring Surprises

Writers Guild Noms Bring Surprises

The Writers Guild Award nominations are in. Remember, as far as future Oscar noms are concerned, the list of ineligible WGA films this year was long: Inglourious Basterds, Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Me and Orson Welles, A Single Man and An Education among them.

For example, I find it unlikely that The Hangover will wind up with an Oscar nomination. Avatar makes it in, a sign of strength, but it may not land an eventual Oscar nom either. Nancy Meyers’ original It’s Complicated omission is a sign of weakness for that Oscar nomination in a wide-open category. Respected vet screenwriter-director Nora Ephron’s Jule & Julia lands an adapted nom, but Anthony Peckham’s Invictus does not. Fox Searchlight is scoring well with both original (500) Days of Summer and adapted Crazy Heart, which gets another surprise nomination. Is Crazy Heart going to earn more than a best actor nod?

It’s a damn shame that the screenplay for “Adventureland” wasn’t nominated; well crafted, emotionally fulfilling, and thoroughly engaging, “Adventureland” was everything that over-inflated mess “Up in the Air” lacked.